Undecided for Now
by sgt.crackers
Summary: Summary inside. Loosely based on Twilight Princess, Ocarina of Time, and Majora's Mask. Some minor OCs and crossover/cameo appearances. Please review, I can't make a better story without feedback.
1. Chapter 1

Hellos and welcomes. This is a little thing I cooked up in a dream I had. It's an alternate universe, but it is based, loosely, on Twilight Princess, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and more.

Well here's the summary - What if the legendary hero of Hyrule was more beast than man. What if the story did not start in the birth place of the legend, but far away in a harsh world devoid of compassion and justice, ruled by warring city states. He will be forced to fight, forced to kill, forced to survive. He will rise above all others and become a legend like no other. But can he control the beast within himself and save his homeland once again?

Disclaimer - I do not own anything except the plot and any other thing of my creations (OC, setting, etc.)

Ch. 1 - Welcome to Fight Club

He growled murderously at the being in front of him. This cruel thing of skin and clothe. He gnashed his teeth and snarled. He twisted against the restraints. The lead around his neck limited his movement, the cuffs on his wrists grinded his skin raw with each and every pull. He stood on tip toe, arms pulled straight out as if he was being crucified on an invisible cross, yearning to be set loose. And then, his punishment began. _WHAP_!

His faced melted into a pained grimace. _WHAP_! A small grunt of pain escaped his mouth. _WHAP_! He growled defiantly despite the pain. _WHAP_! _WHAP_! _WHAP_!!! His worn body shook with fatigue and pain, but he did not utter a sound. _WHAP_! His chest heaved with every wheezy breathe. _WHAP_!

A drop, then another drop, blood slowly dripped from his open wounds. WHAP! The being in front of him stood silently. This hateful person, who was watching him suffer. WHAP! The lead collar forced his head to stay up. The rusted wrist cuffs bit deeper into his skin. A sound was made and the pain stopped. The leather device was silent. The clothed being began making more sounds. Sounds he couldn't understand.

"You are lucky, slave. If you were a lesser creature, I would have had you destroyed for your impertinence. Had I not gone through so much to attain you, your corpse would have made a fine meal for my dogs. But you are a rare find in these parts. A paid a pretty price for your worthless hide and I plan to make good use of you." The being rambled on and on, his voice was annoying. "The news has already spread by now; soon thousands of people will come to watch you fight in my arena. Whether you last this round or the next, I care not. But the people want a show, they want to be entertained, they are a very demanding crowd. If you do not perform well enough, they may want my most viscous man killer to finish you. What can I say? I am only doing what the people want me to do. Starting tomorrow, you fate will be up to them. Gor, cauterize him then leave." The being turned and left. He grunted and attempted pulling at his restraints again. The straining hurt his back.

_Hiss_! He screamed in agony, convulsing his body in desperation. The restraints held him tightly. His back was on fire! The smell of burnt flesh stung his nose and made his eyes water. He howled as the fire moved over each open scar, burning them shut. Each breathe was torture, every heave was maddening, and every movement shot his nerves with electricity. His body went limp, the collar and cuffs holding his weary body up. He didn't hear the other being behind him say god speed, my friend, into his ear, He didn't hear the door slam shut. Then everything faded into nothing.

A sudden wet chill woke him. He made to shake the water off himself until his back began throbbing. Another bucket of water was dumped over his head. The icy water agitated his back more, but it felt good. He finally opened his eyes. There were five men clad in steel and clothe. They undid the chains from the wall and surrounded him. The collar was fastened to the ceiling. He could not move even if he wished to at that moment. The chains were wrapped around him and made his arms cross over his chest. Two held on to the chains and braced themselves. Another went behind and undid the chains to the lead collar. The sudden weight slamming into his shoulders nearly sent him reeling. Pain lanced into his back. And the chains were jerked. One of the guards snarled loudly at him.

"Come on ya wretched slave, get a move on!" He responded back by snarling and struggling with the other guards.

"Damn, this one's strong!" yelled one. The first being slammed it's fist into his stomach, winding him. "That should do it. All right ya lot, drag him out." He didn't have the energy to compose himself. The guards pulled him out and through the winding hallways and stairs.

Noises reached his ears, loud and strange noises. The bright sun swung into view as the gate pulled open. He was blinded by the brightness for sometime. He closed his eyes and moved his head away from the light. The noise was even louder now. When he could finally open his stinging eyes, he saw a dome full of people. They were up high and he was in a large pit. They shouted and cheered. He was so astounded by the sight that he did not notice the collar and chains had been removed. A sudden slam made him whip around. The gate had closed. And another opened.

Ch. 1 - End

Well I hoped you knew who that slave was. That's chapter one. I hope to put up chapter two within the next week or so. Please Read and Review. I would really like feedback, suggestions, and requests. Don't flame, I like constructive criticism, so if you do hate it, please tell me a specific or valid reason. And also, I need help on the title. Please, please, please, I can't think of any title that would work, help me out!

About the story - The country that Link finds himself is an island, named the Trojan Isle, near Termina. Next to Termina will be Hyrule, so these are the three important locations for now. I am playing around with the idea that Link was an orphan who was captured at a young age and sold into slavery. And when the slave trade came to Trojan Isle, they saw his blonde hair, blue eyes and pointed ear, he was bought as a gladiator by some rich dude. Note that in Trojan Isle, most people have black/brown hair, dark eye coloration, and are humans. There are 5 main city states, all at conflict with each other. There's Trozgale, Corincia, Tealgate, Ognib, and Razoro. Link is currently in Tealgate. I'm still cooking up how he gets back to Hyrule and what takes him there. But for now, Hyrule will not be center stage until later on.

Information!!! Yatta!!!

It's not that Link is stupid, it's just that he can't understand their language. I'll try to make it as clear as I can when they are talking in different languages. Adding to that, I strongly believe in leaving Link silent or not putting words down for him. When I play the game, I love how I can play around with Link and make him my own, in a way. Because of Miyamoto's insistance that Link never speak, unspeakable things pop out of my mouth at certain situations and I have given each Link I play so many different personalities it's scary. So I will incorporate that into this story. You, the readers, get to interpret what Link says based on the reaction of other characters. If you want you can write down what you made Link say in a review for me.

Crossover/Cameo appearances may happen, there is a strong possibility. I will put a warning up if it does happen. There will be OCs but most of, if not all, will be minor.

It will get gorey and violent, because of the gladiator themes and future battles.

Pairings are being considered, so give a request if you want a certain pairing. I am open to yaoi, yuri, and het.

Also read my "Beasts of War" in the anime crossover section if you get the chance. I will be working on this story and that simultaneously.


	2. Chapter 2

Warning – Battles ahead. And a new character introduced. Enjoy.

Two are better that one, because they have a good reward for their labor, for if they fall, one will lift his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.

Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10

Ch. 2 - Killing Fields

_**Noises reached his ears, loud and strange noises. The bright sun swung into view as the gate pulled open. He was blinded by the brightness for sometime. He closed his eyes and moved his head away from the light. The noise was even louder now. When he could finally open his stinging eyes, he saw a dome full of people. They were up high and he was in a large pit. They shouted and cheered. He was so astounded by the sight that he did not notice the collar and chains had been removed. A sudden slam made him whip around. The gate had closed. And another opened.**_

A giant beast slowly lumbered out. A white wolf stepped out into the blinding sun. Its mouth frothed with saliva. It moved strangely, like a possessed animal. It stepped from side to side and spasms racked its body. The wolf's eyes had no life left. Gone was the hunter. Gone was the moon lover. All that was left was madness.

The mad wolf twitched and drool dripped from its gaping maw. It let out a roar-like howl and leaped at him. He was able to dive to the side just in time. The young man heard a tumble behind him and looked back. The white wolf had not landed on its feet. Instead it had fallen to its side and was struggling to get up. He watched the wolf spring up and begin snapping the air, as if fending off some unseen enemy. He spotted a sword next to him. The rusty sword was half buried under the dirt. He grabbed it with his left hand and sighed at the deteriorated state of it. The dirt covered wolf had ceased biting at the air and began starting at him again. This time the young man swung at the wolf. He let out a short cry. The quick slash left a small gouge on the giant wolf's shoulder. It paid no heed to the bleeding wound and charged at him. He rolled under the beast and spun on to his feet, landed a sound blow on the wolf's hind leg. It buckled, but only for a second. The beast snarled, foamy saliva dripping even more copiously. It leapt again.

He didn't know how much more he could take. The rusty blade was dull, barely scratched the wolf. His back burned from the heat and sweat. His stamina was running out. He dodged again, to the left and kicked the wolf as hard as he could, grunting in exertion. The wolf made a strange choking noise and fell to its side again. This time, the young man was upon the wolf, striking hard and fast. Raining blow after blow on the wolf's body, but the wolf was quick. It shot up onto its hind legs and tried to tackle him. He used one arm to hold the snapping jaws at bay and slammed the tip of the sword into the wolf. It barely noticed the sword in its stomach and continued attacking. He fell on his back and nearly screamed. The blinding pain almost overwhelmed him. The wolf was almost on top of him, but he rolled away from the open jaws in time.

The crowds loved this. They cheered and yelled, jeered and hooted. Blood, they wanted more blood. The lord looked over the stands and smirked. He signal for one of his guards and whispered an order. The guard left, but was back. He pulled out an iron sword and tossed it into the ring. The sword spiraled through the air and landed hilt up in the dirt.

The young man noticed and dove under the rampaging wolf. He bolted to the sword with the mad beast close behind him. He pulled the iron sword out of the ground. The wolf pounced on his back. The animal's hot breathe blew across his neck. He felt the wet drool on his bare back, the giant, rabid wolf closing in on his neck. He screamed.

Time slowed down. He dropped to one knee and swung his left arm and back, still screaming. The blade gleamed in the sun. It was sharp and true. The blade went through clean. The wolf's head fell. Blood spurted everywhere. He crashed to the ground with the headless carcass on top of him. The bloodied survivor shoved the corpse off of him and stood up shakily. His breathe labored.

The crowd went wild. "More! More!" they shouted. The lord laughed gleefully and waved a guard over. He whispered another order. The guard sped off. Everything was going better than expected for him. The unfortunate Hylian slave could fight well. He smiled and drank deeply from his goblet.

Another gate opened and out stepped three lizard men. They were covered in tunics and had swords. They hissed and snorted, eying the lone fighter with distaste. He was covered with the wolf's blood and the red dirt.. His back burned and stung his eyes with white spots. His body ached and longed for food and rest. His breathing had slowed down. He looked at the headless wolf and gazed at its lifeless body. A loud war cry made him look up. The three lizard men were advancing quickly. They screeched in their high guttural language and came at him. The young slave readied himself again.

They went at him all at once. He rolled between two and kicked one in the back. The lizard went down with a thud. He jumped to his feet and slashed at the other two standing. They sprang back and rushed him again. The third snuck behind him. He blocked a thrust and side stepped a slash. He heard the lizard behind him and rolled out of the way of its blade. The young man feet touched something. He nearly tripped over it, but was able to step over it. When he looked down, he could make out a circular shape. He kicked it out of the dirt. A large, brass shield lay at his feet. He snatched it up and blocked an incoming blow. The impact shook his arm and shoulder and nearly made him drop the shield. He was quick to strap it to his arm and resumed a stance that felt natural to him. He held the shield in front of his chest and crouched behind it. His sword lined up to the left side of the shield. The Lizard men circled him warily. He backed up and looked behind him, there was a broken column of pillars. The lone fighter fixed his sight on all three of his enemies and began backing towards the pillars.

The lizard men tried another rush. He vaulted over a broken base stood on the other side. The lizard men hissed angrily and one tried to vault after him. The fighter rammed his shield down on to the lizard's skull. It fell down to the ground and screamed something. He raised his sword and slammed the sword in as hard as he could into the downed lizard's back. The lizard gurgle blood and collapsed dead. He twisted out his sword and blocked another heavy blow from one of the remaining two. He parried a low slash and bashed the lizard with his shield. The lizard screeched and tripped over a rock and landed on his sword. The young man blinked owlishly at the corpse and kicked it off of his sword. The last foe jumped on a pillar and dove for him. He backed out of the way and tackled the lizard before he made it to the ground. He quickly slashed the lizard's throat, killing it instantly. He stood and wobbled to lean against one of the pillars.

The crowd was even louder now. What a spectacle, what a show, what a grand day. The lone survivor looked tiredly at the thundering masses. He sighed. A gate opened. Nothing came out. He looked at the crowds again, looked for an answer. Figuring it out, he walked slowly towards the gate. A group of guards came out. He tensed and readied for another battle. One raised a thin wooden thing and blew into it. There was a sharp pain in his neck. He dropped his shield and raised his hand to his neck. He pulled a dart out. His mind swam. He fell to his hands and knees. He tried to cling to consciousness, but the world faded into black again.

**"Oh my little Link. One day, you'll be a man just like your father. Soon, your hands will be bigger than mine." The mother patted her young son on the head and continued, "You'll be able to help out more when you are older. For now, listen to your father and do your chores." The young boy pouted. The mother gave a small laugh and gave her son a kiss on the cheek.**

**"Don't worry son, your day will come. I bet you been practicing hard with your sword." The man smiled and ruffled his hair. The little boy looked at his parents and gave a smile. The father clapped his hands and said, "Say Link, why don't you get you practice sword and meet me outside, I want to see your progress." The little boy took off in excitement and raced up the stairs. **

The drowsy young man came to in darkness. He groaned and felt all the aches and pain return. It took a while for his eyes to adjust. He groaned again and tried to get up, but his cold, pained body protested soundly. All he could do was ponder the dream he had. It was all vivid and real, but he couldn't make out the faces of the man and woman. In his dream, he had been called Link. Link, the name stirred a feeling in his chest. So was that his name? He chewed on the name for a moment and decided that it was good enough.

Link's chest ached when he watched the scene over and over again. Were they really his parents? His thoughts were cut off by a clanging noise. He looked at his cell door and saw a shadow of a small figure standing there. The little shadow made a beckoning gesture with its hand. Link was curious. He ignored his protesting body and sat up. He winced at each stab of pain. But squared his jaw and limped over to the unknown person. The shadow sharpened as he drew near. It was a…dwarf or a gnome, dressed in ridiculous green tights. It had a cap on its head that was also green. It had a kind and puffy face with a goatee and mustache. The thing gave a slight bow to him and said in a whisper, "I am Tingle from the moon. I come to aid you."

Link tilted his head in confusion. The one named Tingle continued, "I will help you by healing your wounds first." Tingle pulled out a small vial with red liquid in it. He handed it to Link and told him to drink the red potion. Link downed it in one go and instantly began to feel the calming effect on his worn body. All that was left was scars and dried blood. Tingle looked apologetically and whispered, "The scars remain, if I had a fairy, there would be no scars, but that is the best I could do. The fairy's light would have attracted the guards." Tingle suddenly looked over his shoulder and whispered urgently, "I hear one coming! I'll return as soon as I can, good luck on your next match. Oh, quick! Pants, put them on." Link raised his eyebrows, but donned the pants. The small man was gone in a flash.

Link now has a companion. Why Tingle? I actually wrote down all the companions that Link has had throughout the Zelda series and put them in a hat. I pulled his name out and there you go. Anyways, I hoped you enjoy this. And Link will be having more flashback dreams.

Did you notice why I didn't describe any clothing on Link? Because he was naked, but I left that out for fun until now. Hope some one thought of that.


	3. Chapter 3

Warning - A startling discovery, or not. And executions, but it's quite tame. And a mini boss battle. The boss is a hydralisk from Starcraft. Good luck Link. Oh and Tingle already knows who Link is and will be the one to help him back to Hyrule. He can disappear and reappear, but with a flash, and sometimes, a little smoke, like a fat little ninja, but he is not sneaky or anything like that so he can't just steal the keys from the guards. If he could, he would, but then Link would not be getting any experience in the arena. I don't know much about Tingle. All I know is what I read on wikipedia, Zelda guides, and that I watched Legend of Zelda: Legend of Link and I loved that Tingle. Hehe, Papa Tingle's, I laughed so hard at all the silliness that went on in there. Watch it, it is so cute and well done for a bunch of fans and amateurs.

**Tingle suddenly looked over his shoulder and whispered urgently, "I hear one coming! I'll return as soon as I can, good luck on your next match. Oh here, pants put them on." Link raised his eyebrows, but donned the pants. The little man was gone in a flash.**

Link blinked and walked back to the stone slab that was his cot. He sat down and saw torchlight get nearer. A servant stopped in front of his cell. The servant pushed a metal tray under the barred doors. He left without a word.

Link looked at the tray, wondering what was on it. He knelt over it and had a closer look. There was a piece of bread, an overripe banana, and a cup of water. Link picked up the bread and smelled it. No strange odors there. He touched it. No fuzzy or other not bread formations anywhere, it was just a little hard. Link took a bite and didn't taste anything disgusting. He continued happily munching on the slice. He polished it off and grabbed the cup of water. He smelled it too and found no odors to be wary off. The blonde prisoner took a small sip and then set it down. He took the banana and ate it. It was bruised and extremely sweet, but nothing wrong with it. Throwing back the rest of the water, Link left the tray there.

That was the best meal he had eaten in a long time. Link sat on his stone bed and took time to survey his cell. There was a small little, barred window. It was night out. The walls were made of a reddish stone and the floor was bare. Link thought this was odd. Normally in all the cells he had been, there had always been straw lining the floors along with water, moss, and other questionable things. The floor was clean and dry. The wall was clean and dry. Even the barred doors were clean and rust free. It was a small cell though. The stone slab took up more that half of the room and there was a small space between the door and the bed.

Link idly scratched the back of his head. There were no holes or cracks in the wall. He stood and went inch by inch. Looking for anything that could help him, he made it back the stone bed and saw a little arrow pointing down. He felt along the wall and found two little grooves. His fingers fit well enough. Link pulled and heaved with all his might. The stone lifted up, inch by inch. There was a commotion up the hall. Link quickly, but silently, laid the stone slab down and promptly turned around and went to his cell door. Two people were fighting in the hallway. One was a guard and the other was a gaunt, tall man. The tall man had overpowered the guard and killed him with his own sword. The man then began unlocking cells and waking the other slaves. It was silent, except for the occasional gasps, questions, and whoops. The man almost made it to his cell, but stopped. Link watched him look up at the ceiling. Link's sensitive ears caught it first. A low, deep blow horn sounded off outside.

The man panicked, "They sounded the alarm, hurry everyone get up there and grab a weapon." The tall man was the last to disappear up the stairs. Link sighed, he was all alone now. A small flash went off. "Hoohoo! Can't believe they forgot you." It was Tingle. The hallway was still dark, but a single fallen torch illuminated the bottom of the stairs. Link could see Tingle more clearly now. He was wearing green tights. Link stared at the oddity of a person in front of him. Tingle simply smiled and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Now that those prison breakers are keeping the guards busy, we have time to plan your escape." Tingle said happily. As he said this, Link heard a higher stronger horn blow outside. Soon the sound of screams and metal clashing filled the distant air. Tingle looked at him. "You found the stone hatch didn't you. Now lift it up and see what is inside."

Link nodded and lifted. He heaved and strained, the stone slab rose slowly. Tingle had to admire this young lad for his strength with all things considered. His body showed the years of maltreatment. His ribs, hip bones, spine, and shoulders stuck out. His skin crisscrossed with new and old wounds. Whip marks covered his whole back. There was a fist sized burn on the back of his thigh. It was perfect circle, as if someone took a mallet and cooked it red hot and pressed it into his skin. His hair was short and thin. It fell limply around his face, now wet with sweat. But despite it all, Link's strength was evident. Years of hard labor and slave work hardened his young body. Had he lived a normal life in the fields and forests of Hyrule, Link would have out done all the knights, just as the other heroes before him had.

He finally pushed the stone slab all the way up against the wall. He took a moment to catch his breathe then looked down. There was a hole. A man sized hole, complete with a ladder down. Link turned his head towards Tingle. The little man nodded and said, "Go take a quick look, the battle is only at its peak now." Tingle ran off and brought back the still burning torch. He handed it to Link and watched him climb down.

Link made it to the bottom. It was a small climb and he could have jumped it. The floor was low and barely big enough for him to fit. He crouched and moved deeper into the tunnel. There were small makeshift supports here and there. Link got to a dead end and found a small spade. He spared it a glance then stuck it head first, into the dirt. Link crawled back, torch still in hand, back to the ladder and climbed his up. Tingle was still there. Link came over to him. Tingle held out his hand, "Give me the torch." Link did so. Tingle walked it over and laid it back down near the stairs. He came back and gave Link instructions.

"Here, this is a map and guide to completing the tunnel. Hide it under the stone. Work on the tunnel only when I am here." Tingle handed Link a small round orb, it was glowed blue, red, and green. Tingle continued, "This has a very quite and discreet tone to it. Only a Hylian such as you self, can hear it. You and I will use this to communicate. Keep it with the instructions. The battle is over, the prisoners have lost. Don't cause trouble! You need to be alive to get out of here." Link nodded and dropped the paper and orb in a small crevice and pulled the stone slab down. Tingle looked sharply at the stairs and whispered, "I'll be back soon." Then he was gone. Link could hear some guards clanging down the stairs.

They yelled loudly. Cursing and swearing, they went cell to cell looking for remaining slaves. Link thought on Tingle's advice and decided not to agitate the guards. He did not fight them as they chained him. Everyone was marched up to a courtyard. The surviving prisoners that broke out were held together in chains, guarded by guards in black clothe instead of grey. There was a wooden block standing in the center of the courtyard. The prisoners, along with Link, were forced to stand around it. Of course, being blonde, Link stuck out like a sore thumb among the brunettes. Link could not understand what they were saying, but knew what fate the captured slaves would face.

The leader, the lord of the fighting arena, was sitting on a mobile throne carried by four burly men and surrounded by black clothed guards. The lord stood up from his seat and yelled, "Behold, these filthy vermin thought they could escape, fight their way out. Well, vermin should be dealt with, let this be a lesson to the rest of you. Escape is impossible. You will live and die inside these walls unless I say so." The man made a gesture and the guards began moving the prisoners up one by one. The poor souls screamed and cried. Tied down on the block, they were stabbed over and over again. The executioners made sure not to any vital organs. They could stab a person at least 40 times before they died of blood loss.

Only the last one did not cry. Only the last one did not scream. It was the tall man. He was stoic. His face was calm. His body was relaxed. Before they fastened him to the blood drenched block, he tensed up and said, "I am escaping, oh hated one. I will be free from these shackles. Death is a gift, a haven. I accept it. Kill me like the cowards you are. None of you lapdogs could face me alone. I die a proud man, not a slave in your twisted games!" The guards fastened him down. He went on, "Here I lay, you! Executioners, try to wring a sound out of me!" The man began taunting them. Even as they stabbed him over and over again, his mouth and spirit did not wane even to the last breathe. He died, not with a look of anguish and suffering, but peacefully, as if he was sleeping, finally at rest.

Link could not fathom the extent of the dead hero's words, but felt a kinship with the man. And so did a number of the other slaves that could understand him. Some of the slaves stood straighter, prouder. They did not look at the lord, but the feeling of loathing towards this disgusting man grew. They would one day be free, one day.

With the execution over, the slaves were led back to their cells and locked up again. Link sat quietly on his bed. His cell was the last one at the very end. There were no new occupants in the escapees' cells. Tingle did not show up again. He was let alone in darkness. Link laid down and closed his eyes, hoping for a dream.

No dream came, but he felt rested. The blonde slave stood up and looked out of his little window. He could see rolling fields, small villages in the distance and cattle grazing. Twisting the cracks out of his back, Link breathed in the fresh morning air. The sun had not risen yet, it was on its way. Link stood watching the sky turn different hues of blue, red, and yellow. The sky was clear, birds were flying about waking everyone else with their soft singing. Link wished he could fly away with them. He sighed and sat back down on his stone bed.

It was noon when the guards came again. They chained him and led him up to the arena. None seem to notice his new pants. It was as full as last time. Everyone was shouting and cheering. Happy to watch slaves fight to survive and even happier to watch the slaves die gruesomely. The dirt was splattered in blood, but the dead corpses had been dragged away. The coppery smell permeated the whole arena. Unlike before, Link was handed weapons, a long 8ft. spear and a round steel shield. The spear was heavy, but balanced. He had never used a spear before. This would be awkward to adjust to. Link set his jaw and gripped the spear tightly. The gates before Link and the guard opened and he was led out.

Once they were out in the hot sun, the guard undid his shackles and withdrew, back to the safety of the walls. Link breathed in deeply and prepared himself for the battle coming. He had watched others wield a spear, but only had a rough guess at how to fight with it. Worse yet, he didn't know if he could wield a spear and a shield. Link held the spear in a way that felt natural to him. His left hand gripped it a ways from the center until the spear felt balanced in his hand. When he held it horizontal to the ground, spear balanced between his thumb and forefinger. Link moved forward to the center. Hefting the shield up, he shaded his head and shoulders from the beating sun and surveyed the arena. Things had changed. The whole pit was clear, no rubble and no discarded weapons. It was clean and bloodied, but it was a startling change from last time.

He heard, before he saw the gate at the far end open. The gates rumbled open, as if announcing the waiting adversary. Then it was silent, the rowdy spectators were quiet with anticipation. For Link, the silence raked at his mind. The silence made that already unbearable sun hotter, the beating of his heart louder, and the spear in his hand even heavier. Link tilted his ears. Something was coming. He didn't hear wings, or paws, or hooves, he heard slithering. Then it stopped, Link could hear its raspy breathing.

Then it burst out. It had hinged mandibles that spewed with saliva as it roared. It had a long crowned head, molten red eyes, and giant scythed appendages for its arms. The muscles were completely visible under the thick tan skin. It looked like a cross between some scary looking bug and a short thick cobra. The muscle and sinew bulged and pulsed as it slithered closer to Link. It was two times taller than him and bigger than his cell. It stopped and eyed him for a second. Then something even more horribly wrong happened. It opened it's mandibles wide, two hidden flaps extended out, green fumes began bubbling in its mouth. _Pwoot_! Link threw his shield out in time to deflect the giant needle. _Pwoot_! The second buried itself deep into the earth next him. It began spitting the needles at him nonstop. Each hit made him reel back. He began moving about, zigzagging, jumping, rolling, anything to not get hit again. His right arm was almost numb from the projectile's impact.

Link dodged another needle and began moving closer to the beast. It didn't stop firing at him until he was close enough for it to take a swing at him. Its scythe claw nearly took his head off, but he ducked and attempted to thrust his spear into the monsters belly. The spear barely made a scratch on the tough skin. It slammed its head into Link, sending him flying back. The monster moved with unimaginable speed slammed both scythes down on him. Link rolled towards the monsters belly and tried a second jab at the belly. The spear made it in, but the beast whipped back and whammed Link with its arm. Link went flying again, but got up on his feet this time. The monster let out another gargled roar. It moved even faster, using its arms to propel it towards it's prey.

Link side jumped a jaw strike and stabbed at the creatures head. He only succeeded in giving it a small scratch under the eye. It fired another needle at him. It imbedded itself into his shield, but did not pierce it. Link was forced down by the impact. His knees slammed painfully into the dirt and his arm burned with pain. He let out a loud cry and threw his whole weight behind his shield. The point of the imbedded needle sunk in easier than his spear head. The monster screeched and viscously began stabbing at him. The scythes came closer and closer to their mark but Link didn't let up. He began pulling the shield down, using the combined weight of himself and the shield he was able to make the pierced wound bigger. The beast twisted itself and Link was, again, sent flying away from the enraged monster. His breathing was heavy and labored. His muscles ached, his head ached, but his spirits were high. The monster began spitting at him again.

Each projectile was batted to the side with his shield. He took that moment to rest and think a way to exploit that small tear on the belly. He began circling the monster. It didn't let up in hurling needles at him. It grew impatient and charged him again. Then he saw his opening. When the beast charged forward it struck its scythes into the dirt, lowering itself closer to the earth. If Link got underneath, he could deliver a devastating blow to his previous attack. Link geared himself and sprang forward. At the same time he threw off his shield and quickly repositioned his arms.

Time seemed to slow down again. Everything in center view came into focus with such clarity. He sprinted towards the monster as it barreled at him. Link slid clean under its outstretched claw and stopped at a crouch. With a roar of his own, Link lunged up and used the last of his strength to thrust into the tear. Energy rushed from his feet to his legs to his back and finally to his arms. Link's spear went straight and true. It slid more than half way through because of the monster's own momentum. Link was forced to back up with the monster. His feet scraped along as he was dragged with the beast. It was perfectly still for a moment, then began sliding down. Link pushed himself away from the monster and rolled out from under it. The spear went clean through as the monster fell on it. It slid through and the tip jutted out of its spiked back.

Link had rolled out in time, but he could not stand up. He was on his back, a few feet away from the dead monster. He sucked in the air as if he had been choked. One of his feet throbbed, making itself known over all the other pains and aches. For a battle so epic, he had escaped with a bad foot, a broken rib or so, and many bruises, especially on his back. Link looked up and saw that the sun was standing on the stadium outer walls. Had he really fought for that long?

He brought himself up to a sitting position. The sounds and sights of the crowd came rushing back to him. When Link was fighting the crowds seemed to have disappeared, but now they were back and louder than Link could ever imagine. His head felt like it was splitting into two. He couldn't move without feeling pain everywhere. He stood and limped over to the open gate, too tired to start anything. The guards chained him once again and led him back to his lonely cell. Link fell asleep as soon as he laid down on the stone slab.

Finally done with this chapter! This one's a big one. Anyways I hoped you enjoyed it. Please R and R. The hydralisk really does look like a fat cobra mixed with some kinds of bugs and that alien from AVP. But the Starcraft ones in game and cutscene look so different sometimes and the easter egg hydralisk in Warcraft looks really different too. I went for a cross and hoped you went and found an image of it, because it really is hard to explain and keeping it together with this story setting.

Also I told you it was a mini boss battle. Other real boss battles will be longer. And I want to go with the theme of Link learning how to wield various weapons through experience and natural abilities, because all Links in almost every game has this ability to just pick up a weapon and fight with it.

I don't want to say what age he is about. I'd say he's a teen right now, but that's it. He'll be an adult when he gets back to Hyrule. Also I want to give him an animal companion of some kind. If you have any suggestions leave me a review. I was thinking a wolf, but I don't know about that.

Tingle may not be as annoying as I heard some people say he is, so I guess that counts as OOC. Yes, Link's going to do the old escape through the tunnel thing. And the reason the tunnel was already somewhat completed was that there was someone already working on it, but got killed in the arena or something else. Tingle was able to get the late prisoner's plans and maps and improve them with his amazing and unnamed abilities. Link will have lots of fun with that. Well, I'll try to update as soon as I can.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm going to skip a few weeks a head of time. Link has been through fights everyday of those weeks and has also been working on the tunnel under his cell. By now he is scarred heavily, tired, and reaching the breaking point of what's left of his sanity. I'm not a big fan of angst and Link really isn't the kind of guy to angst, but he is hurting in more ways than one. Don't get me wrong, angst is good when used with circumstances and/or moderation.

Also there is kind of a boss battle, WOOT! Anyways the boss is a Minotaur. Yay for Greek mythology! I don't want to give this away so read to find out. Hopefully it will turn out well. Expect an unexpected twist. OR if the unexpected was the expected wouldn't that make the expected unexpected. Something along those lines, work with me here.

Disclaimer - I do not own anything except this laptop, the plot, and the few OC that may dot this story.

Ch. 4 - What just Happened Here…

**He brought himself up to a sitting position. The sounds and sights of the crowd came rushing back to him. When Link was fighting the crowds seemed to have disappeared, but now they were back and louder than Link could ever imagine. His head felt like it was splitting into two. He couldn't move without feeling pain everywhere. He stood and limped over to the open gate, too tired to start anything. The guards chained him once again and led him back to his lonely cell. Link fell asleep as soon as he laid down on the stone slab.**

Weeks blurred by. The memories of everything had imprinted itself into his mind. Whether it was the faces of the people he had killed or the countless dead corpses that littered the ground after the fighting ceased. And when each battle finished, his skills had been honed and his prowess with each weapon he was given grew. As his infamy spread, so did the number of matches. There was many times where he would fight all day long, back to back. If it were not for Tingle and his healing potions, Link knew he would be dead a long time ago. But the scars didn't vanish, the pain never went away. His recent fight played over in his head.

He had fought four matches, each just as long and just as grueling, it was near evening and the sun was setting. Link remembered every ache, every sore, every wound, but they were small things that he had become accustomed to. Pain was a constant that he learned to adapt to. He endured it easy enough now. But that was not what he was thinking about.

His last match nearly broke him. It was no giant beast or terrifying monster. His opponent was a young man. Bigger than him, yes, but not as experienced or hardened. He had dark skin and his head had been shaved. His eyes were big with fear, his breathe was shallow, and his sweat ran down his head in rivulets. All reasonable responses, for the young man's fears were fueled by Link's appearance. Covered in head to toe with blood, his eyes glowed fiercely, his blonde messy hair was matted with wet blood, and the blood stained scimitar in his hand was still imbedded in a troll. With a yank he pulled the scimitar free from the lifeless body and turned towards the other slave.

The young man had a spear. He was an adapt spearman in his tribe, but he had never been in battle. He knew how to hunt and hunt well he did in the plains of his homeland, before he had been captured and sold in the market place. His tribe had been a peaceful cattle raising tribe on a continent far away across the ocean. How he wished he was back in the grazing fields with his little sister. How he wished he never took that dare to hunt the dragon fish on the beaches past the tribal lands.

Link did not know what to do. Many of his opponents were experienced fighters and warriors or bloodthirsty beasts and monsters. They always came at him, underestimating his smaller, slimmer frame. This one was afraid, not cautious. It dawned on Link that they sent this slave out to be slaughtered. They didn't expect a fight, they expected an execution.

Link looked at the young man, as if to say, 'well what are you waiting for'. The young man gave a charge and attempted to thrust his spear through Link. The battle lasted for only a minute. Link knew only one could survive, but it tore everything inside of him. How could he take an innocent life? But even so, the will to live was strong in both and none wanted to give it up. Link punctured his heart and couldn't watch the body fall to the ground. He closed his eyes and turned averted his head.

Even now, the dead man's eyes still burned into his, brown eyes, wide with fear, and the utter look of terror on his face. Link sat down on the ground and leaned his back into the cool stone wall. He rested his right elbow on his bent knee and ran his other hand through his messy hair. Link couldn't fathom much anymore. He needed to only focus of fighting when he was in the arena and digging the tunnel. But that proved a blessing he couldn't attain, no matte how hard he tried. Tingle had arrived earlier that night to keep watch while Link worked underground. He was making progress, bit by bit, through rock and rubble, Link knew he had to be at least half way done. All this done with a spade, who knew such a little tool was so strong.

The sun was rising soon. The stars twinkled merrily in the heavens above. They slowly faded away as the sun's morning rays filled the sky with light. Link liked to watch the sun rise in the morning. For a few hours, he could blissfully forget the hardships and watch life outside begin anew again. Link reached his fingers past the tiny barred window and felt the sun's warmth on his hand. He let a rare smile escape on to his face. Link stayed at the window until the guards came to take him up to the arena again.

Today proved to be an odd day. Instead of cheers and loud roars, the crowd was hushed, whispering in excitement. This was very strange indeed. He had been given a small war axe and another round steel shield. He stood near his gate and tested out the axe. It was a small one, barely longer than his forearm, but it was balance to be thrown. Link tossed in to the air and caught it by the handle each time. It was definitely made for throwing, but looked sturdy enough for a melee. Link tossed it higher than he did previously and watched it spinning down towards him. The handle landed in the palm of his left hand, just as it touched his skin, the gate in front of him opened. Link readied himself and waited and waited.

His ears caught screaming. A loud roar followed by more screaming and a stomping so heavy that the ground began to shake. What ever it was, it was coming closer and closer to the gate. The ground shook even more, a testament of the thing's size and weight. It bound out into the open with a fearsome bellow. The crowd gasped, could it really be? Was that the fabled Minotaur of legends? The giant beast was half man, half bull. His legs were that of a bipedal bull, his broad chest and shoulders were that of a man, and his great horned head was a bull's. It carried two guards, each in one giant meaty hand, and tightened its fist around both and squished their bodies to a pulp. The blood squirted from between its fingers and the guards screamed no more. It let out another deep bellow and began stomping the earth with its great hooves, enraged by its imprisonment.

Link was momentarily at awe, this beat the snake beast in strange enemies by a long shot. It threw the bodies away and finally noticed Link. It looked him over with one eye, then past over him and started surveying the stadium. The guards and people above began getting very nervous. It must have been four times taller that he was. It was more than half the height of the pit walls. It let out a loud huff and leaped high. The Minotaur landed neatly on the walls and sat back on its haunches as if to mock the people in the stands. It stayed on that position until a few guards came at it with their spears. It roared out a challenge, mocking the puny humans that dared to come after it.

Link was now confused and shocked. He had been completely ignored by the Minotaur and pandemonium had ensued in the stands above. The guards came at the Minotaur from all sides, but were tossed aside like flies. The giant bull was making a mess of things. It had begun smashing the walls apart. Debris fell everywhere, into the pit, onto any unlucky targets, and flying about as the monster smashed the structure. Link saw an opportunity though, the debris had piled up and if he was fast enough, he would be at the top in no time. Link ran full tilt at the pile of rubble and began climbing as fast as he could. He paused only for a moment to slip the axe into his pant's rope belt, securing it, and tossing the shield aside.

Climbing the rubble was easy and he made it up to the top in no time at all. Link rolled to dodge a throne. He didn't pay much mind to it and took off for the exit, where ever that could be. The stadium had emptied for the most part, except for the rampaging Minotaur and the guards, who did nothing but to irritate the beast. Link ran in the opposite direction of the beast and saw a doorway leading down. He ran to the steps, but stopped at the top. Link looked back and thought about the other slaves. Link quickly made up his mind and ran back towards the mayhem. Link ran to past the beast and almost went unnoticed by the battling guards. One turned and was about to let out a cry of surprise but Link was quick to let loose the axe. It flew from his hand and buried itself into the guards face. The guard crumpled down dead. Link didn't even bother to take the axe. He simply stole the guard's sword and quickly ran down a stairway.

He ended up in a room with a door and a hallway. He looked between the two and went to the door. He took a peek inside by cracking the door open. Inside, the lord and some of his elite guard were there. The lord had been hurt and the guards were patching him up. Link's rage bubbled to the surface. All the pain, all the frustration, all the hate blinded Link's sense of reason and he calmly strode into the room, sword in hand. None had noticed him yet.

One guard turned to grab a small knife lying on the table and saw the intruder. But he reacted too slowly, Link slashed his throat. He spun to the ground and didn't move anymore. Another came at him, spear poised. Link sidestepped the spear and caught it. He twisted his body and threw the guard into the last one and wrenched the spear from the fallen guard's grip with his right hand. Link stabbed through the guard and into the second one under. Both squirmed as they died, pinned by the spear. The lord had crawled backwards, trying to get away from the mad man. Link glared down at the cowering man. He shot forward and grabbed the man by the neck, dragging him onto his knees. The man struggled and pleaded for his life. Link still didn't understand what he said, but didn't care either way. He ran the sword through man's chest. Link kicked the dead man's body off. He turned and noted a set of keys on a hook near the door. Link grabbed those and made his way back to navigating the stadium.

The whole building shook and quaked as the Minotaur continued to tear it asunder. Link needed to hurry. He ran and found the courtyard. He was about to run down a staircase until a voice called out to him, "Link! Link! Wait!"

He turned his head and saw Tingle running towards him as fast as his short legs could take him. The little man stopped and breathed heavily. He gasped out, "Wrong…way…that way…" Tingle emphasized by pointing to the doorway on the other side of the courtyard. Link nodded and was about to take off, but Tingle stopped him. Tingle handed him the small communicating orb and a belted pouch. Link tossed the pouch over his shoulders and placed the orb inside.

"There are some healing potions in there and a map of the entire stadium. Use it to navigate to the prisoners and out. All the marked cells are the ones with any one in them. Hurry, I'll stay up here and guide those you have freed to a safe place. Contact me once you are done freeing everyone." Link nodded and ran off to the other side. Link pulled the map out and looked it over. There were a lot of slaves to free. He jumped the first set of stairs and continued down.

Each cell he came to, the other slaves would say things to him, but Link didn't understand a thing they said. They ran off when Link pushed them towards the stairs, but some stopped long enough to give him a hug or a kiss. He had almost stabbed an overzealous old man with his sword by accident. Link ran down another flight of stairs and checked the map. They would be the last set of slaves to free. Link made sure to double check the cells and map as he made his way up. He reached into the pouch and pulled out the orb. Tingle's voice called out of it, "Link! Hurry up, the stadium won't last much longer!"

Link zoomed out of the door but barely stopped in time. A pillar had fallen right in front of him. Link stepped over it and ran. He saw Tingle waving at him from a distance. Link picked up his pace and hurtled towards the exit. Everything was falling apart behind him. He heard and felt the giant beast bellowing a distance behind him. Link drew on the last reserves of his strength and pushed himself to go faster. Tingle cried out with glee and tottered off with Link close behind.

The Minotaur, satisfied with its work, climbed out of the ruined stadium and thundered away. The stadium was silent. Then a crack resounded from the earth. The tunnel that Link had been working on was also falling apart. Unbeknownst to Link and Tingle, they had dug through a weak spot in the foundation. The stadium caved in on its self. As if a drain had been unplugged the stands and walls collapsed inward. Only one side of the wall stood. The side was where the lord sat with his guards.

Link, Tingle, and the rest of the freed slaves watched as the stadium was destroyed. Many hugged and cheered, jumped and laughed, cried and smiled. They encircled Link, kissing him, hugging him, patting him, and thanking him. Tingle spoke to them in their language and, somehow, set them on their way. Link was still gazing at the stadium ruins. Tingle came over to him and said happily, "You're free, what now?" Link didn't look at Tingle, but felt uncertain at his questioned. Tingle smiled mysteriously, but Link missed it as he turned his eyes up. The sun shone brightly, high in the sky. He relaxed his tense body, allowing his shoulders to fall down, breathing deep and calm. Tingle then said, "This world is in need of help. So much corruption, so much evil, and no hero to the rescue" Link continued to stare up at the clear blue sky, Tingle went on, "Will you help them?"

Link finally stared down at Tingle. His blue eyes shone intensely. Tingle knew Link's unspoken answer. Tingle face grew serious, but his eyes were still smiling. He walked off into the plains and told Link to follow him. Link didn't look back once as he trailed after Tingle's bright green back. Into the wilds he went, the untamed world stricken with turmoil.

Well, I told you the unexpected would happen. Time to get serious! What will happen now? I have a few ideas, but if anyone has a suggestion or a request please lay 'em on me.

Minotaurs are my third favorite mythical beast.

So Link will fix this place up before he goes back to Hyrule. He'll be the batman basically. You know, running around saving people, building up a reputation and reshaping the way he acts. This is when the beast inside Link starts coming out more. The stadium was only the tutorial, the real fun begins now. It may be a little slow, but the pace will pick up quickly.


	5. Chapter 5

Tutorial's over now, the real game's just beginning. Link gets some new clothes and weapons. Note, the coloration of the clothes was chosen by chance yet again. I was going for his standard green, brown, and tan from TP, but thought, oh why the heck not? Let's spice it up a little. There will be a valid reason for this coloration, but that will be revealed later on.

Link is now near the city state Razoro, a Spartan inspired place. Spartan as in historical, 300 elements may be found in there, but I have been really fascinated by Sparta of Ancient Greece. As it may be an inspiration to this little city state of my creation, there are many distinguishing factors between what it was inspired by. A major one being that this will be one of the few places that do not use slaves and are attempting to stay neutral in all this mess, despite being a warrior society. In fact, most of the other city states are at odds with Razoro, politically and economically, but won't attack because of said warriors. But I won't go into that much at all because I am no good at politics, despite being in political science, strange I know. Well snippet of info over, have fun reading this and please review. Warning - This chapter is pretty slow so bear with me.

Disclaimer - I do not own Legend of Zelda, all I own is the story and the few OC that dot this story.

Ch. 5 - Canyons of Fun

**Link finally stared down at Tingle. His blue eyes shone intensely. Tingle knew Link's unspoken answer. Tingle face grew serious, but his eyes were still smiling. He walked off into the plains and told Link to follow him. Link didn't look back once as he trailed after Tingle's bright green back. Into the wilds he went, the untamed world stricken with turmoil.**

Some how, Link decided that Tingle was much more than just an odd person. He must have been from a dimension all his own, because when they had gone out into the rolling plains, Tingle led him to a small tree where he had hidden a sword, a shield, a bow, and packs of supplies. It was like everything had been planned and Link had dug that tunnel for nothing.

The steel sword was a fine one, worn, but fine in every way. Sharp and balanced, a weapon that would serve him for a long time. Link slipped it back into the sheath. The shield was round, as all the shields he had used so far, but it had a strange metal chassis. Link ran his fingers over the shield's smooth surface. He fixed the shield onto his arm and was surprised by how light it was for its size. The bronze and steel shields had all been quite heavy, this was new. Link pulled it off and leaned it against the tree.

Tingle had been going through the pack and pulled out some clothing. Link curiously looked at them. Tingle only smiled at him and gave them to him. Link stripped his tattered pants and began donning the new apparel on. He first pulled on a snug black, long sleeved shirt that hugged his body. Then pants that were of the same black material. Link moved experimentally, stretching his limbs out, the clothe felt like a second skin. A chain mail shirt went over it, then a bluish grey tunic afterwards. He tightened the belt Tingle handed him around his waist. Link donned the long cap and made sure it was secure on his head. He slipped on the brown boots and stepped about in them. And finally, Link tugged on the brown leather gauntlets and fastened the bracer around his forearm. Tingle began giving him his weapons, one by one.

Link strapped the sheath to his back. After adjusting the strap, he hooked the shield on. Link looked at the last weapon, the bow. Tingle seemed to have read his mind, because he produced a bag of quivers. Link set that on to the right side of his shoulder and glanced at Tingle. Tingle motioned for him to back up with his hand. Link backed up until Tingle signaled him to stop.

"Let's practice some archery! Now try and hit this tree from where you are." Tingle got a confused look from Link. Tingle smiled again and happily explained the basics of handling a bow and such. Link inhaled deeply and exhaled deeply through his nose, focusing on the task at hand. Tingle made sure to run behind Link while he was explaining. Link strung an arrow and drew it back. This the first time Link had ever handled a bow. When he released the arrow it flew past the tree and disappeared in the tall grass. The second time was better, it flew low but buried into the base of the tree. The third attempt was even better, he hit near the center of the tree. Link continued with three more arrows, and then Tingle stopped him and pulled him back even farther.

All the arrows, except ten, had been wasted. Tingle smiled proudly at Link. This young man had the inherent abilities of all heroes before him. His last arrow sliced the branch Tingle set into the ground. And at a distance of a few hundred feet, Link could now aim the bow well enough, but a live, moving target would be different from a target that was set up or stationary. Tingle still had much to impart to him. For now, it was time to move on and find a more suitable camping ground. The sun had already set, but the lingering rays painted the horizon purple and pink.

They traveled a few more hours out into the plains of rolling grass, until Tingle decided on a suitable site to sleep. Link dropped the packs he had been carrying and plopped down. His worn and fatigued body commanded him to sit. Tingle kept smiling oh so happily and began rolling out the bedrolls. Link just stared off into the starry sky, temporarily lost in the stars until Tingle told him to get some rest. He crawled over and fell and slumped onto his stomach, not even bothering to take off his sword and shield. Tingle chuckled and took the shield off of the tired hero's back. The little green man had to shimmy the leather strap out from under Link, who was quite heavy for such a lean frame. Resting the sword on top of the shield, Tingle walked off a little ways from where Link slept and pulled out the glowing orb.

It shown even brighter, the colors spun and throbbed, but they never mixed. Tingle stared into the orb intently, listening to a silent message. His face changed emotions so quickly, from joy to relief, then from surprise to serious. The orb pulsed brightly then faded into its dormant state. Tingle sighed and looked up at the sky Link was staring at a few moments ago. He muttered under his breathe and returned to where Link was. The sleeping young man's face was relaxed and peaceful. He looked like a baby, lying on his stomach, his hands folded under his head. Tingle sighed again and sat down next to him, and muttered a little louder, as if to tell Link. But Link was deep asleep.

"It can't be helped."

Link woke up before the sun came up, as was his usual routine, but he was not in his cell. Sat up and looked at Tingle who was still snoring away next to him. Link smiled as everything finally came back to him, he was free. The sky never looked so much better that it did now out in the open. No walls, no bars, nothing could restrain him anymore.

His stomach growled, his hadn't eaten since his last meal, which was two days ago. Link looked through the packs and found cooking utensils, but nothing to cook. He looked at his bow, but remembered that there were only 10 arrows left. Link scratched the back of his idly and looked about the packs again. His searching got him a small hunting knife. It had a serrated edge on one side and a sharp edge on the other. Link tucked it into on of the pouches in his belt and set off. He gathered fire wood and made two piles. The first pile was farther away from the blankets and the second was one the edge of the blanket. Link made sure to get two thick pieces of wood and dropped them next to each other and covered them with more sticks. He placed bark here and there. Then he realized that he needed something to light it with. Link, once again, looked through the packs and found a flint stone. Holding it over the bark, Link struck it with a rock. Spark cascaded down, but it took him 5 tries to light the bark. He blew carefully on the glowing embers until it grew into a flame. Link fed the fire some more sticks and when he was finally satisfied, he went off looking for food.

The fields of tall grass made it hard to spot any game, but the morning rays lit up the horizon and Link caught sight of some large, brown, and strange looking birds. They had feathers, billed beaks, and clawed feet, but they had the body of fat, short deer. A deer duck, or duck deer, it didn't matter much to Link, just as long as he caught his breakfast. They were grazing the grass and honking as they did so. Their beady little eyes would scan here and there for danger, but they hadn't spotted the hungry hero yet. Link crouched low in the tall grass and moved slowly towards them. Suddenly the wind picked up, but luckily, Link was down wind. Unluckily, there was another predator, a pack of small rat dogs burst out of the brush. The strange birds let out loud honks and began bounding away as fast as they could. Link shrugged in disappointment, but was suddenly bowled over by one of the birds. Seeing a chance, Link pounced on the fleeing bird and held it down. It was struggling hard, but Link was stronger and had it in a headlock on its side. It couldn't ward Link off if it couldn't kick him or bite him.

Link drew the knife and plunged it into the birds head. All movement stopped completely. Its whole body went rigid then slumped down. Link was breathing hard, not from exertion, but from excitement. His heart was pounding, his mind was still racing, and his hands shook. Link had to sit next to the dead bird for a moment to calm down. It took only a few minutes for the shakes to go away. He yanked out the knife and gutted the bird. Link had skinned and gutted animals on a slave farm when he was younger. Who knew all that experience as a slave could help him out here. After he was done, Link tossed the bird carcass over his shoulder and took off for the campsite. A distance away the rat dogs were feasting in the carcass of another bird.

The sun was now over the horizon when Link returned to where Tingle was. Tingle had been gathering more fire wood and was tending it. Link slowed down to a walk and dropped the bird near the fire wood pile. Tingle ever smiling face lit up when he saw the bird. With a laugh he said, "Here's our breakfast, lunch and dinner! Good job Link." Link nodded and began skinning it. On closer inspection, the bird had short feathers and fur. That made skinning all the more fun. Feathers were everywhere and when Link finally finished, he was covered head to toe in feathers. Shaking himself like a dog, most of the feathers drifted off of him. Tingle took care of the rest as Link batted the rest of the feathers off of himself.

The meat was incredible. It was tender and juicy. It had a salty flavor with a light undertone of sweetness. Tingle had opted to pit chunks of meat over the fire and roast them that way. The smell alone made Link salivate as he waited. Tingle had to force Link to take off his gauntlets before eating. Once he did get his share, Link tore into the meat like an animal. Ripping in, bite after bite, eating like a starved wolf. Tingle calmly ate and chewed his piece while formulating a plan to teach Link more than just combat techniques. Link had already finished off half of his second piece, by the time Tingle was done with his first.

They cleaned up and began packing up. Tingle had sprinkled the rest of the meat with some powder and did something else to them. When the little man was done with them, all the meat had become jerky, deer duck or duck deer jerky. Tingle explained that there was a place that could be a safe haven for both of them. They traveled for the better half of the day, only stopping once for water at a spring and lunch. The full water canteens made the packs even heavier for Link, but he trudged on. Tingle talked the whole trip, filling the silence with chatter and jokes that Link only smiled at. The grass thinned out as they went along. Soon there were only patches of vegetation and the dirt was red and brown, reminding Link of the arena. He shook the thought from his head and shifted the packs. They stopped near a giant cactus that had a design wrapped around the top. It was a large brass shield with a bull emblem at the center.

"Link, be careful and do as I say. One mistake can get you killed. The people of Razoro are very distrustful of outsiders, but they are fair and just. Hopefully I can persuade them to allow us to stay." Tingle said this with all seriousness. Link nodded and they passed the giant cactus. They had only taken about 20 paces. A spear sunk into the ground in front of their feet. Tingle simply stayed still and Link did the same. Then, as if out of the earth, a score of armed caped men surrounded them. Each had a shield and spear, with a sword tied to their waist. Their capes were an earthen color of tan and were held by a harness wrapped around their built chests. Link fought to keep his excitement from getting the better of him, but being encircled by spears was not helping it much. His hands clenched and unclenched, his heart pounded in his chest, but he forced himself to calm down.

One of the men came forward. He pulled the spear out of the ground and planted it into the earth, butt first. He drew his sword and stood before Link and Tingle. The man, obviously a rank above the others because of the medal pinned to his chest harness had the emblem of the bull from the shields while the others' had blank ones. He began speaking the same language Link didn't understand. Tingle had no problem with the language and answered the man's demands easily enough. The other warriors stood as still as statues, waiting for a signal. What ever Tingle had said to the leader must have been good for the man gave a signal and the others relaxed their spears. The man and Tingle exchanged a few more words, as some of the men eyed Link up and down discreetly as they stood on the sides. Link was getting a little uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the caped warriors.

Tingle motioned for Link to follow. The man barked out an order to the warriors who simply nodded and hid again among the rocks and landscape, invisible once again. Link followed a pace or so behind Tingle and the other man. They had crossed a network of bridges and pulleys the spanned from canyon wall to canyon wall. The bridges were solid and secure. Many of them were manned by soldiers. As they made their way around, the river snaked along under them. Layers and layers of erosion could be seen as they passed through checkpoints. It was almost night fall when they passed through a tunnel. On the other side was breathtakingly beautiful. Link looked all around. There was a giant waterfall pouring into the lake below. On the left side of the waterfall was a giant set of stairs that led up. Lining the stairs were fortifications and guards.

Their ascent took them up to a city literally carved from stone. The sandy colored rock dwellings were simple and sturdy. The city had been built next to the mountain river, then as time went on, expanded to the other side. The populace had already turned in, but torch lights continued to illuminate the main roads. The man spoke with Tingle again and led them to an abode near the center of the city. Tingle explained to Link that the man was going to house them until they could speak with the king tomorrow.

As the man entered the house, two small, squealing blurs slammed themselves into him. A young boy and girl were jabbering to him and he smiled down at them and talked to them. Both wore a simple garb wrapped around their bodies. A woman appeared, she was also draped in a simple clothe, but she had a sash tied around her waist. Her smile did lessen when she saw Tingle and Link behind him. The woman immediately herded the children off somewhere and returned. The lady and her husband exchanged words, and then Tingle was added to the exchange. The man's wife finally nodded and turned to get a room prepared for them.

The room was bare and small. There was a small window and a single bed in one corner. Link dropped the packs into one corner and took off his all of his gear. He stripped off his tunic, mail, gauntlets, and boots and piled them on top of the packs. The tired traveler stretched and pulled out the bedrolls and spread them out on the ground. He flopped down as soon as he had finished and yawned. Tingle had gone somewhere. That thought floated away as Link fell asleep.

Woot done! I need to study for my finals…stupid exams.


End file.
